Traveling Tuesdays #26 – Special Christmas Day 2018

Christmas Day 2018

Today our Traveling Tuesdays blog is bringing a Special Christmas Day Edition. As I was setting up my Christmas Decorations this year, I realized many of the ornaments on my tree came from many countries around the world. I thought I would share pictures of some of the ornaments I have purchased or received while visiting countries around the world.

Here is a picture of my tree. As a child we always had a real tree! When we lived in the city, Dad would often purchase one from a tree lot, a week before Christmas, and would prop it up outside until a few days before Christmas. When my Dad moved back to the area he grew up, he would pick out a tree from the edge of the woods, and cut it down a few weeks before Christmas.

The tree never went up early. If it did the needles would start to fall if it dried out. A couple of days before Christmas the tree would come indoors and was set up in the living room with plenty of water in the stand so it would not dry out.

After my Mom passed and Dad was on his own, I would come home from Kuwait for the holidays. One year I bought this tree and now it goes up in my condo!

Decorating the tree brings back lots of memories. Many ornaments were bought on my travels around the world. Some ornaments were gifts from school children I taught, some come from my Mom and Dad’s tree, and some are gifts from friends and family. Some are hand made and some store bought, but all have a story to tell.

At the base of my tree I put this nativity scene which is made of olive wood. I got this set while traveling in the Holy Land. While driving from Amman, Jordan to Petra, our driver stopped for a pit stop. Besides using the WC we had a chance to shop and I got these beautifully carved figures of Mary and Joseph, the baby Jesus, two cows, two sheep, a shepherd and three kings.

I have a hand made angel at the top of my tree but just a little lower down, I placed this angel which I bought at a shop in Greece. I was on a trip to a Greek Island with my sister Ruth. I believe both of us have one on each of our trees now.

These next three photos show ornaments that come from three different countries.

This is from Peru, which was Ruth’s first overseas posting.

These two, from Russia.

This one from Saudi Arabia.

I have many bells on my tree. I guess my friends know I play hand bells and playing bells at Christmas time are a big part of Christmas for me.

This wooden one is from New Zealand and the Kiwi bird is a special reminder of my Kiwi friend, Judy Leonard.

This bell is one of several bell ornaments I have from Ireland.

I have two more pictures to share.

These are wooden ornaments both purchased while traveling and shopping in Frankfurt airport in Germany.

Oh, Christmas Tree is a German Christmas traditional carol.

Trees, decorated by Christmas lights (in the old days – candles) remind us that we celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus.

Emanuel – God with Us! Jesus – the Light of the World – has come!

Joy to the World. Go Tell it on the Mountain. Merry Christmas everyone!

Next week we will return to our Traveling Tuesdays rotation by visiting a country starting with the Letter ‘W’. If you ask Google for an alphabetical list of countries, there is only one that starts with a ‘W’, and YES I have traveled there too!